A strange beginning
by Firecarryer
Summary: Life changes for young Naruto when he discovers, at a very early age, that contains the Nine-Tailed fox. But unlike his older self, this one seeks companionship from the Fox, who responds in kind. Bit of a bad summary, but short note is, Fem-kyubi helps raise Naruto. Kyubi is very OOC. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

*Author's note*

Ok, for anyone who reads my stories, or still bothers to check out my page, I'm sorry. I haven't updated in a while, for a number of reasons. First was exams, then my internet died, and then I lost all my updates. (found them again, but it took a while) But the biggest reason I haven't updated was this. I was recommended the Naruto fanfic Team 8 by S'TarKan, which if you haven't read I suggest you do, and it inspired me to write a Naruto fic of my own. I would like to point out that my fic, while inspired by Team 8 and has some similarities to it because I love the idea, is not a knock off of Team 8. I am not here to steal from anyone, and I have browsed very few other fanfics for Naruto except for one or two I've been recommended off TV tropes. So if I have a similar idea to anyone, I'm sorry but I'm not stealing. Really. I'd have to have read you story to steal the idea.

That out of the way, this is the first chapter of my Naruto idea. Bit of a "for want of a nail" that I have a lot written for it. A retelling of the main story of sorts. Naruto will be better than he is in the manga, mostly a bit brighter, less impulsive and annoying, and more competent. Hopefully not a Mary Sue, since I've been working really hard to avoid all that. Oh, and separation for my stories is normally done by * symbols but the website keeps deleting those and my double spaces, so instead you'll see what I'm using after my disclaimer. If anyone has a solution that works better, please let me know, and let me know if I should keep posting this story. I only really post for feedback and reviews, so please let me know. My ranting done, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or if I did, I'd have quit with the hours of backstory to every minor character and their mother.

(Nothing else seems to work)

At five years old, Naruto Uzimaki was sure he was going crazy.

It had started earlier that day, a normal day by his standards. He had been playing on the playground, alone despite the massive number of kids that filled the sandbox. Any time he approached another child, either they reacted violently and he was forced to flee or fight back until their parents intervened and grew angry at him, or the worst case when one of the children would play with him, only to be taken away and scolded by a parent. "Stay away from him." They'd tell their children. "He isn't safe. Don't play with him, don't talk with him. Just act like he doesn't exist."

It was a cruel thing to tell a child, and even crueler to give that instruction while the child in question was standing only a foot away. So Naruto sat alone on a swing, watching the other children go home and the sun start to sink.

"Why do they hate me?" He wondered, staring at the retreating families and feeling a nasty combination of envy and anger stir in his belly. "What did I do to them? What's wrong with me?"

He knew he was asking this out loud, and he hadn't wanted an explanation. He didn't expect an answer, especially given his surroundings. But he did get a response, in the form of a deep, guttural snarl that was a little too happy to explain things to him.

"**You know why they hate you!**" The voice snarled. "**You've known since the day you were born. You're a monster boy. They hate you, and you will in turn hate them.**"

Naruto froze on his swing, his eyes dancing left and right to find the source of the voice and failing. The little blonde boy broke into a cold sweat as he stood up, glancing around the playground and demanding, "Wh-who said that?"

"**I did. Don't play dumb. You know who I am!**" The voice snarled.

Naruto didn't respond but his body reacted before his mind could. He barely thought about what he was doing before he took off.

Naruto ran as fast as he could through Konohagakure, dodging past vendors closing their stalls and families making their way home for the night. Ninja or civilian it didn't matter; Naruto ignored everyone in his path and just ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. A small portion in the back of his mind hoped that no one had been hurt or knocked over by him but that portion was dwarfed by the fear that possessed his body. He wanted to get away, and he wanted it now!

So he ran, the only way a frightened child could. He dodged in a pattern that made little sense to anyone else, letting blind panic and adrenaline guide him as he bounced off of walls and dove under people's legs. He didn't know where he was, and didn't stop until he miraculously made it to his home, a small apartment he lived in alone, and collapsed once through the door.

His lungs begging for air, his legs burning and body battered and bruised, Naruto just lay on the floor, struggling to recover and praying that whatever had spoken had been left behind.

"**Don't be a fool. How could you leave behind a part of yourself? You could run forever and I would still be right there with you.**"

Naruto's breath caught in his throat as he tried to move, scared out of his mind at the voice that spoke to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, fear tensing every muscle in his body. "Who are you?" He demanded in a whisper.

A low chuckle caught Naruto's attention, sounding different than before. The voice earlier had been... distant, he supposed described it best. An echo, something he heard from far away. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his apartment. Instead he was in a massive room, with a wet floor and bars that stretched from beneath the ground into the ceiling. The bars looked like a gate, only with no hinges or latch. Instead there sat a long thin strand of paper. Naruto still struggled in reading but could clearly make out a single word on the paper was simply the word "seal" across the middle.

Naruto stared past the gate, struggling to see what was hidden. Suddenly a set of glowing red eyes appeared, and a muzzle full of teeth snapped at the bars. Naruto gave a startled yelp and scrambled back, even as the face withdrew.

"**Come closer boy!**" A voice snarled from behind the bars.

"No thanks." Naruto whispered. "I'm fine back here."

"**Why will you not come closer?**" It snapped.

"Because you probably have long arms to go with those big teeth?" Naruto suggested. "What are you?"

The figured snarled and drew itself up to the bars, letting the light shine through the bars. Naruto bit back a hiss and stumbled back even further. "Impossible. You're dead!" He snapped.

The figure chuckled as its red fur seemed to shimmer in the light, and its tails curved around its body. "**Dead? Dear boy, you can't kill me**." It chuckled. "**Not even your precious fourth Hokage could kill me. So he did the only thing he could, and sealed me within a person. You.**"

"Me?" Naruto asked softly. "Why me? What's special about me?"

"**As far as I can tell, nothing. That man just chose to punish you out of everyone. He even damned the village in doing so.**" The Kyubi told him. "**You hate the village, and rightly so. You should hate them for isolating you**."

"Hate them?" Naruto asked, parroting the demon. "Why would I hate them? How could I hate them?"

The Kyubi cocked its head, looking confused at the boy. Naruto shrugged. "They know what I am. I'm a demon. You were sealed in me, and if you get out you'll kill everyone. They don't hate me. They're scared of me. And they should be."

"**And that doesn't bother you?**" The demon asked.

"Of course it does." Naruto snapped, momentarily forgetting his fear. "I hate that they fear me. I hate being alone. I don't want it! But that isn't their fault, it's yours!"

"**Mine? I'd rather die than be trapped in a brat like you!**" The Fox snapped. "**I didn't have a choice!**"

"Neither did I." Naruto told it softly. The Kyubi snarled but didn't reply. "So what do we do?"

"**Do? We should make them pay!**" The Fox demanded. "**They have trapped me, and hurt you! Let me out, and I will make them pay.**"

"And then?" Naruto asked. "You'd kill them, wouldn't you? Prove them right?"

The Kyubi paused for a moment, staring at Naruto in confusion. "**Why not? They are human.**" It snarled.

"They are. They're human, with families and friends that they fear for." Naruto let himself sink to the floor with a sigh. "You would kill them for that fear, a fear that was started by you attacking the village."

"**I didn't attack!**" The Kyubi snapped. "**I defended myself. I might hate people but I wouldn't do something that stupid.**"

"Whatever." A defeated looking Naruto told it. "What do you want? Why are you talking to me? I'm not letting you out."

"**Really? Even if it costs you your life?**" The Fox demanded. "**You die, I die. Your Hokage got me with that, the bastard. I'm into self-preservation."**

"Not if it leaves you trapped in a brat." Naruto reminded it. The Fox snarled but didn't reply. "I thought so. I'm leaving now."

"**You'll be back.**" The Kyubi promised. "**You're alone except for me. You won't have a choice.**"

Naruto shrugged and walked away. He walked away from the cage, and his surroundings kept growing dark. Naruto blinked and suddenly found himself sitting in his apartment, only a few minutes after he'd arrived. His legs no longer hurt and he'd caught his breath but he felt exhausted. He looked around his living room for a moment, his thoughts bouncing around in his head until he finally stood up and headed for the roof of his building.

It was starting to get dark but Naruto didn't mind. He preferred to look at the village at night. It was a beautiful sight, and there wasn't anybody around to judge him. He watched the sun set, thinking over what the Fox had told him, and slowly coming to terms with a frightening realization.

He was the demon. He was the thing that had attacked and killed the Fourth Hokage, the greatest protector of Konohagakure. He was the reason there were so many orphans, so many deaths. Him.

That crushing realization led to others, and none of the ideas were very pleasant. He was a monster. No wonder the other kids didn't like him. He shouldn't exist.

His thoughts spiraled downwards from there, and Naruto was consumed enough that he didn't notice that someone had landed on the roof behind him. He only noticed when a hand touched his shoulder, causing the boy to jump. He glanced up at the figure with a monkey ANBU mask on. "Hey jiji." Naruto said quietly.

The figure removed the mask, chuckling. "Naruto. What are you doing out here this late? It isn't safe to be on rooftops at night."

Naruto glanced up at the old man, wondering what he should say. The Third Hokage, once an extraordinarily powerful ninja whose strength was waning with age, had retired years ago before the attack from the Kyubi on the village. With the death of the Fourth, the Third had taken his office back with extreme reluctance. Now swamped with the duties of his office, he still made time to know all the ninja of his village, and kept an eye on the lonely Naruto.

Naruto probably wouldn't have been able to admit it but he respected the Hokage beyond words. The old man had taken the time to look out for Naruto, making time to visit him and allow Naruto to interrupt his day in his office. But now he had to question whether or not the Hokage had been looking after Naruto because he was alone, or because of what he was.

Naruto remembered suddenly he'd been asked a question and looked down shyly. "I like looking at the village at night." He muttered. "It's easier. And you and the ANBU on are the rooftops at night."

The Third chuckled again. "Fair enough," Sarutobi told him, sitting down beside the boy. "But you also only come up here when you're troubled. What's wrong?"

Naruto swallowed and looked down. He hadn't remembered shifting towards the edge of the roof, and he suddenly realized how high up he was. "I had a... scary conversation this afternoon." He admitted.

"With who?" The Hokage asked, suddenly concerned.

"The Kyubi." Naruto whispered.

The Third froze, his face contorted. Naruto cringed and looked away. When the Hokage didn't say anything, Naruto quietly told him, "It told me that it was in me. That I'm the demon. That's why everyone hates me, isn't it?"

"No one hates you Naruto." Sarutobi protested weakly but stopped when Naruto gave him a look of disbelief. The Third sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, it's not. No one your age knows. They are forbidden to be told by anyone but you."

"But their parents know." Naruto said softly. "And they don't want their children in contact with the demon."

Too late the Hokage heard everything that Naruto had said. The old man's face grew fierce as he turned towards him. "Listen to me Naruto." Sarutobi told the boy firmly. "You aren't the demon. You cannot be the demon. You are the prison for the Kyubi, no matter what anyone else says. You are the only thing keeping our village safe from it."

"I'm what?" Naruto asked.

"You heard me right." The Third told him. "You are the prison designed to seal the demon away. You hold the greatest burden in this village. Greater even than mine."

"But... But the Kyubi said-" Naruto swallowed heavily. "It said if I died, it died."

Sarutobi gave him a sharp look. "Even if that were true, it means nothing." The Hokage snapped. "Naruto, you are a person. You were chosen to bear the burden of keeping the Kyubi under control. The villagers don't understand, can't understand what that means. If they did, they would respect that the only thing keeping the demon at bay is you."

"Then why didn't anyone kill me, and kill the demon?" Naruto demanded. "The Kyubi fears my death. It would be gone."

"So would you." Sarutobi told him gravely. "And while the demon is a threat, there would only ever be one Naruto. To kill the demon was to lose isn't a price I'm willing to pay. Why are you?" Naruto looked away and shrugged. The Third Hokage gently wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulders, and gave a quiet sigh. "It spoke to you, did it? Did it say anything else? Did it say you had no value?"

Naruto shook his head. The Hokage nodded, and told him gently, "Naruto, I know how you feel. You've realized, much earlier than I thought, exactly what your life is going to be like. I had hoped you would be older before the Fox woke up, and you would have had a chance to deal with it. You're alone, feeling helpless because you know hold so many lives on your shoulders. You didn't ask for this, nor do you fully want it. But knowing what you know, could you turn your back? Could you let the Kyubi take control, let it take revenge?"

"No!" Naruto whispered fiercely, his eyes wet. "How could I? They aren't right, but I can't kill them!"

Sarutobi nodded, and smiled at Naruto. "And that's why you are better than them. You've been alone, and people have been horrible to you in their ignorance, and even now you can't turn your back on them. That's a big thing Naruto, even if it doesn't feel that way."

Naruto nodded slowly. "They're still my people." Naruto told the Hokage. "That's why you protect them, isn't it Hokage-sama? Even when they do something wrong?"

"That, and I understand that they're people. People aren't perfect Naruto." Sarutobi told him gently. "They have fears, they make mistakes. That doesn't make them good or bad. It makes them human. And I'm one of them. I make mistakes, I have fears, and I hurt people I don't mean to. But I have the power to keep them safe, to make things better. What else could I do?"

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Does it get easier? Dealing with people?" He asked.

"Not always." The Third admitted. "But that's what it means to be a shinobi. We exist to serve our people."

"Could I be a shinobi? With this thing in me?" Naruto asked.

The Hokage looked at him in surprise. "You want to become a shinobi?" He asked.

"I want to prove everyone wrong." Naruto said softly. "They all think I'm dangerous, I'm a threat to the village. I'll show them. I'll become the best ninja this village has ever seen."

Sarutobi chuckled. "That's a high target." He warned.

"No. A high target would be Hokage." Naruto told him, his voice determined. "If I can, I'll be Hokage someday."

The Third nodded slowly and gave Naruto a warm grin. "Then that's what you do Naruto." He told him. "There's no reason you can't attend the Academy. You're too young for this year, but in time..."

"I'll do it Hokage-sama." Naruto told him, sliding back along the roof. "I'll be the best Hokage ever. Even better than you!"

Sarutobi chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair. Naruto bowed respectfully and headed back to his apartment. Sarutobi rolled his shoulders, watching the boy leave before turning to look at the silent village. "Dream big Naruto." He said softly. "You, of all people, have earned that." He double checked Naruto was safely in his apartment before slipping his mask back on and disappearing into the night.

(nothing else seems to work)

Naruto knew that he couldn't enroll in the Academy right away but the thought that he could excited him. He began putting aside money from his stipend from the Hokage, not knowing how much he'd need to save up but putting aside all he could spare. He began sneaking out to watch the older ninja practice, trying to gleam some of their techniques while they practiced. He tried to imitate their motions as they practiced their taijutsu, feeling clumsy and awkward but trying regardless.

But even as he watched, he grew curious as they practiced their other techniques, studying their attempts at using ninjutsu and genjutsu. He could feel the shift as they drew on their chakra, and his mind began to spin with the possibilities. He tried imitating their hand seals, trying to mimic their jutsus with little success.

After spending a few days working on his ninjutsus, he went home scowling, frustrated at his lack of success. At least with mimicking the taijutsu, it felt like he was getting somewhere. With the ninjutsu, nothing happened no matter how hard he tried. He kicked off his shoes and sat down in the middle of his apartment in a funk.

"**Didn't work again? Huh. Not surprised.**"

Naruto's scowl deepened as the Kyubi spoke. He closed his eyes anyway, feeling himself settle into the cage. "What do you want?"

"**Me? You called me here.**" The Kyubi snarled. "**I'm content to be alone.**"

"Really." Naruto said flatly. "That's funny."

"**What?**" The Kyubi snapped.

Naruto didn't answer right away, only blew out a long breath. "Why can't I do any ninjutsu or genjutsu?" He asked the Kyubi with all the patience the five year old could muster.

"**Because you don't know how to yet.**" It told him impatiently. "**You can't mold your chakra to make either. Genjutsu requires a vivid imagination to make an illusion, while ninjutsu allows you to manipulate your chakra into energy.**"

"Could you teach me?" Naruto asked it.

"**Why would I want to?**" It demanded.

Naruto shrugged. The Kyubi stared at him before sighing. "**No. Not right now. You would be injured. You need to learn basic chakra control first. I can't safely teach you that. Also, you mortals mold chakra oddly. I could not easily teach you a jutsu as humans know it. Other techniques, yes but those that other ninja do? No.**"

"Oh." Was all Naruto said. He was, not always be choice, speaking the Kyubi almost every afternoon. This had been going on for a few weeks, and it seemed like, at least on the surface, the Fox was starting to enjoy spending time with him. It didn't wait for him start the conversations, and was actually speaking in an almost respectful tone.

"I have a funny question. What's your name?" Naruto asked it.

"**My name?**" The Fox asked, startled.

"Yeah. Your name. You have one, don't you?" The Fox gave a startled nod. "So what's your name? I can't just call you Fox or Kyubi."

"**Brat.**" The Fox told him. "**Why do you care?**"

"Because we're stuck with each other." Naruto told it. "I don't want to fight with you."

"**You're still a mortal brat**." The Fox reminded him sharply. "**Do you actually trust me?**"

"No." Naruto said. "I wish I could. You still just want revenge and to be let out, and I can't give you those. But could you at least give me your name, so that I can call you that instead?"

The Fox stared at him for a long time, before turning into the depths of its cage. Naruto waited for a moment, hoping that the Fox wasn't ignoring him but as the silence dragged on, he gave up. With a strong feeling of disappointment, Naruto stood up. "Sorry. Didn't mean to offend you. Was just trying to be polite." He said quietly, turning to walk away.

**"...Kurama**." The Kyubi said softly. Naruto turned in surprise, staring at the demon. "**My name is Kurama.**"

Naruto grinned and turned back. He gave a slight bow, and told the Kyubi, "I'll visit tomorrow Kurama-san. And thank you."

The Kyubi grunted in response, frowning to itself as it listened to Naruto retreat. "**What a strange boy. Showing kindness to the likes of me. Almost like her.**" It mused quietly. Glancing back, its frown deepened. "**What will you become, Uzimaki?**"


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, so here's the second chapter. Now, not sure that I mentioned this before but in case I didn't, this is a bit of a for want of a nail story. The nail isn't Kurama talking to Naruto though, that's just a side effect. Part of the effect, which won't be huge, is that Kakashi will be more like his Shippuden character, as will Naruto. Let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

_Six years later_

The Third Hokage nodded to his greeting to the jonin in the room. "Glad you all could make it." He told them. "Here is the list of graduates."

"Not much ceremony this year." Murmured Asuma, reaching for his cigarettes. The Third gave him a sharp look and, with a sour face, Asuma put the box back.

"Doesn't need to be. So you have some ideas for the teams Hokage-sama?" The Kunoichi Kurenai asked, glancing at the reports.

"Yes, but they mostly match with the reports from the Academy. These are the only students that need a special eye kept on them. That's why I called you three in." The Hokage told her. "You can all read the reports, and comment as you wish."

Kakashi slipped his book away and glanced down at the reports in front of him. He wasn't surprised that he was assigned Uchiha Sasuke, nor was he surprised at Naruto being thrown on that team as well. It was tradition that the lowest and highest marks be on the same team, to help balance any weaknesses. The middle, Sakura bothered him though as he thought to his scouting trips to the Academy. She was an unknown factor. As it was the girl was bright, even potentially brilliant academically, but she didn't show much prowess with taijutsu, ninjutsu or genjutsu, and she didn't work well with Naruto. Her fawning over Sasuke was normal for a girl her age but it didn't mean that she would function well on his team. It would be difficult for him to get the group to act cohesively.

Asuma grunted as he looked over his team. "I'm satisfied. They'll work well together." Kakashi glanced at the report again, and scowled behind his mask. Of course Asuma was satisfied with this trio. Shikimaru, Choji and Ino from the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans respectively would work well as a team. The three even knew each other very well with their parents being old friends and Choji and Shikimaru having grown up together. That and their own natural inclination as a team would do wonders with little effort on Asuma's part .

Kurenai frowned a little at her team though, much to everyone's surprise. "They're good on paper Hokage-sama but... Don't you think they're a little overspecialized?"

"How do you figure?" The Third asked thoughtfully.

"With all due respect sir, they won't be good in combat, not for quite a while." Kurenai stated. "They're a great combination for tracking, but there's only one in the group who is a decent close combat fighter at the moment, and the other boy has too many weaknesses. The Hyuga girl is scared of her own shadow, and afraid of her bloodline. I don't know that I could keep her safe on a team like this."

"I would agree." Kakashi said quietly. "And I would point out that there is room to switch. Aside from Sasuke and Naruto's marks, all the marks are fairly close, so there is room to switch and balance the teams as we need to."

"Are you dissatisfied as well, Kakashi?" The Third asked, a little surprised.

"Not with my task no, but my team leaves much to be desired." Kakashi stated flatly. "There will be no cohesion in this unit, at least not until they're all thrown close to death and survive by the skin of their teeth. Naruto and Sasuke are bitter rivals, and Sakura hates Naruto while being disliked by Sasuke."

"Perhaps a simple swap would be best." Asuma suggested. "The kunoichi of your teams switch. Sakura be trained by Kurenai while Hinata by Kakashi."

"Sakura on a scout team?" Kurenai asked, reading her file. "I'm not sure she'd be good for that..."

"On the contrary. She has a near-perfect memory, a good mind for tactics and excellent chakra control. She bears no member of Kurenai's team any grudge, and she has potential to excel in taijutsu and genjutsu, given the right motivation." Kakashi pointed out. "Meanwhile, Hinata will serve as a good buffer on my team, and potentially as glue. Sasuke will be content to have a kunoichi not fawning over him, and Naruto could use an ally with a good head on her shoulders. Given how withdrawn she is, Naruto could help her open up, as well as help soften up the Uchiha boy."

"Uchiha brat you mean." Kurenai muttered. When the group stared at her, she sighed. "I agree. Sakura will make a better addition to my team. Asuma seems content with his team, so there is no need to shuffle further, unless you object Hokage-sama."

The Third took a deep draw from his pipe and sighed. "Normally I would object, but this is a unique situation we are in, especially with Naruto graduating so late and unexpectedly. So I will allow it. Good luck to you all."

(Nothing else seems to work)

Naruto felt giddy as he waited outside the Academy with the other eight graduates. He'd made it. He was a ninja now. He was actually a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"**Careful boy. Don't go getting a swelled head.**" Kurama warned him. "**We still have a long way to go. And you've only got one jutsu that's any good.**"

"I know but still, I'm excited." Naruto told the Fox. "We earned this. We did good."

"**That we did. Although I would have been happier had we been allowed to finish that traitor off**." Kurama growled.

Naruto shrugged, ignoring the killer intent the Kyubi radiated. "We couldn't have killed Mizuki and advanced. Plus, that could have hurt Iruka-sensei."

"**True, Iruka would have been hurt.**" Kurama agreed. "**But if he hadn't been, it would have been worth it. There would have always been next year.**" Before the Fox could comment more, Iruka entered the courtyard and surveyed the new genin.

"All right everyone. You all know why you're here." He told them. "Today I'll be assigning you to your teams and meet your Jonin sensei. I have the list here, but before that, I want everyone to know that I'm proud that you all made it this far. I know you all worked hard to get here, and I expect great things from you all."

Most of the students nodded, and a few wanted to cheer. Naruto was tempted but he could feel the warning from Kurama that it wasn't an advisable action. Naruto instead stood at attention, listening as the names were called out. He was completely surprised when Iruka called out, "Team 7, Hinata Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzimaki."

Naruto grimaced a little at that. Hinata was ok, a little shy but he didn't fault her for that. She seemed scared of everything around her but she didn't seem to hate him, which was a definite bonus. He would have rather been on a team with Sakura and tried to win her over. His stomach churned suddenly, as he remembered his conversation with the pink haired girl, disguised as Sasuke. That converasation still stung, but delivered a firm message. He didn't have a chance with Sakura, and to be honest, it was better that way, and best that he wasn't on a team with her. But to be on a team with Sasuke of all people...

He sighed but went to the meeting room for Team 7. He closed the door and slumped down into one of the chairs. "I should have expected it." He thought to Kurama. "I was last in the class, and Sasuke is the best. They had to put us together."

"**Don't worry. It's better to keep a rival close.**" Kurama told him gently. "**You'll improve dramatically if you have to compete with him. What do you think of the girl?**"

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, a little surprised. He glanced across the room at the kunoichi, who was sitting with her back against the wall looking nervous. "She's ok. She doesn't hate me like the others, or chase after Sasuke."

"**Indeed. I wonder why.**" Mused the Kyubi. "**But it doesn't matter. You see her eyes? She's a Hyuga.**"

"A Hyuga? So what?" Naruto asked.

"**So what? She has the Byakugan. She can see Chakra.**" The Kyubi warned. "**She'll notice me before long.**"

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it." Naruto promised. "For now, I want to meet our Jonin."

Meeting their Jonin would have to wait though. The three genin waited in the room for an hour, all three of them sitting silently while fidgeting and ignoring the others. Naruto kept staring at the clock and repressing a growl. "Where is he?" He muttered, glancing around the room in case he somehow missed the fourth person in it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "He's not here Naruto. Just be patient."

"Patient? He's over an hour late." Naruto snapped. Sasuke didn't reply, only sighed and ignored his fellow genin.

Hinata quietly cleared her throat and stuttered, "P-p-perhaps we should look around for our sensei." When the boys turned to her in surprise, she blushed and added, "I kn-know we're supposed to wait but sh-sh-shouldn't he have been here by now?"

"He is. I wonder why he's late." Sasuke muttered, resting his chin on his hands. "Should we talk with Iruka-sensei?"

Naruto caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and saw the veins around Hinata's eyes bulge, and she slowly shook her head. "Iruka-sensei isn't in the building." She said softly. "B-b-but there is a s-s-strange man heading here."

Naruto scowled. "It's about time." He muttered. He glanced at the chalkboard eraser and his scowl shifted into a grin.

"**I'm not sure that's a good idea Naruto.**" Kurama warned. "**We don't know who this man is, or how he'll take a joke. And he is Jonin. He won't likely be caught by a simple trap like this.**"

"All the more reason to do it. He made us wait so long." Naruto stated. "Besides, if he's a Jonin it shouldn't bother him in the least."

He felt Kurama shrug. "**Go ahead then. I admit the man annoys me and I haven't even met him.**"

Naruto's grin widened as he grabbed an eraser from the board and a chair. He stuck the eraser in between the sliding doors with a smirk and hopped off the chair and chuckled. Sasuke and Hinata stared at him, Hinata blushing and giving a stuttering protest. Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "A Jonin won't be caught in such a simple trap."

Naruto shrugged and sat back down, keeping an eye on the door but otherwise being perfectly content to wait for their new sensei to show up. He didn't have to wait long after that, as a partially gloved hand reached in, and slid the door open. At the door was a tall, thin man with spiky white hair, a mask covering up most of his face and his forehead protector covering his left eye. He started to say something but was interrupted by the eraser landing on his head.

The Jonin blinked in surprise and stared at the eraser on the floor in shock. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the befuddled expression on the ninja's face, and Hinata gave a quite giggle while Sasuke tried to hide his smirk behind his hands. When the Jonin picked up the eraser with a sigh, and as he placed it back on the board he glanced back at the new genin team.

"I'd have to say my first impression is... I really don't like you guys."

(Nothing else seems to work)

Naruto scowled as he looked at the Jonin, who led them out of the building and into an old courtyard outside on the edge of Konoha. Hinata and Sasuke were also eying their Jonin suspiciously. The Jonin waited until the genin had sat down and gave a bit of sigh. "Ok, so now that we're here, we're going to do a team building exercise. We'll give our names, our likes and dislikes, a hobby, and our goal for the future."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"So we get to know each other better." The Jonin shrugged. "I'll start. My name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm a Jonin. I have many hobbies, not a lot of likes or dislikes, and no goals for the future."

The genin stared at Kakashi for a moment, and Kurama chuckled in Naruto's head. "**Clever. Nothing beyond his name.**"

"So who wants to go next?" Kakashi asked them.

"**Go on.**" Kurama urged him. "**No bragging, no grandstanding. Just tell him simply your goals. Keep it simple, and polite.**"

Naruto swallowed but put his trust in the Kyubi and raised his hand. Kakashi inclined his head, and Naruto swallowed his instinctual bragging voice. "My name is Naruto Uzimaki. I don't have any hobbies, I like ramen and training. I dislike judgmental people and my goal is to be Hokage."

Before Kakashi could reply, Sasuke snorted. "Good luck with that Dead Last."

Kurama growled in his head and Naruto felt like joining in but Kakashi interrupted with, "So I take it you'd like to go next?"

Sasuke _harrumphed_ and rolled his eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha. I dislike annoying people among other things. I don't have many things I like, and certainly no hobbies. My goal is to resurrect my clan and to kill a certain man."

"Well that's... a bit unique." Kakashi told him blandly. He turned to Hinata, and the young girl looked down embarrassed. "Your turn."

Hinata blushed and murmured, "My name is Hinata Hyuga. I dislike cruel people. I like people wh-who try to make others s-smile." Her eyes flicked around the group and her blush deepened. "My goal is to grow stronger and earn the respect of my father."

That got a few strange looks but no comment besides. "Well, now that we're all acquainted, we're done for the day. We'll be doing a training exercise tomorrow," Kakashi stood up and stretched before handing each of the genin a scroll. "Here are the instructions. I know you're all pretty tired of training from the Academy but this is important. You'll be training against me."

Against Kakashi? Naruto broke the seal on his scroll and took a quick read. He frowned, and after quickly consulting Kurama, asked, "We're going to be fighting you?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Yep. The three of you will be fighting me. See you tomorrow."

Naruto frowned at the obvious dismissal and stood up, glancing over the scroll again. "Is this for real? We're going to be fighting him?"

"**It makes sense I guess, in a roundabout way.**" Kurama admitted. "**You will have to face strong ninja out in the field, and a jonin is certainly powerful. It is a good way to get stronger.**"

"Oh come on Kurama-chan. The guy couldn't dodge an eraser trap. This is going to be easy." He reassured the Kyubi.

(nothing else seems to work)

"**You mortals have a saying. Something along the lines of 'famous last words' isn't it?**" Kurama grumbled.

"Shut up..." Naruto replied sourly, loosely fighting against his bonds. "How the hell did that guy get so tough?"

"**I think he was mocking us before.**" Kurama replied sourly. "**We should not make the mistake again.**"

Kakashi was standing over the three genin, each of them tied against the wooden posts and shaking his head. "That was disgraceful." He told them. "None of you passed the test."

Naruto grumbled a bit but he felt defeated more than anything. He'd failed the bell test. Kakashi had made it sound simple. Take one of the two bells that Kakashi was carrying, and you got be on his team. The one who didn't have a bell failed. Of course, that meant one of them was bound to fai1and go back to the Academy but...

Naruto scowled now as he looked up at Kakashi. "Ok. We all failed. Do we all go back to the Academy now?"

"Oh don't worry. There's no need for you guys to go back to the Academy." Kakashi told them pleasantly. That surprised the group, who exchanged glances. "You all don't have to go back, because you should all quit. None of you are fit to be Shinobi."

Naruto blanched at that, and Sasuke growled and tried to leap against his bonds. Hinata just flinched back, sinking against the post dejectedly. "Give up? Why would we give up?" Naruto demanded.

"You don't even know what it means to be ninja." Kakashi snapped. "Did any of you think about what I was testing you for?"

"For?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"The point of this test. I already knew what you all were capable of." Kakashi told them. "The point was for you all to act as a team!"

That startled the genins into silence. Kakashi glared at them for a moment before sighing. "Look. Naruto challenged me alone, and while he was clever, he couldn't beat me. Sasuke you assume your peers would slow you down and Hinata, you hid the entire time. Had you helped Naruto you two might have succeeded in taking a bell, and you could have located me right off the bat. Or had you helped Sasuke, he could have taken a bell. Instead you hid off to the side and even managed to get caught in my genjutsu. You all worked alone."

"There were only two bells!" Naruto snapped. "No matter what happened, you would have failed one of us."

Kakashi gave him a level look. "What do you think happens in the real world? If this was your team, and only one or two of you could get out alive, could you make the sacrifice for the good of the village?"

Naruto glared at the ground. Kakashi shrugged and looked at the clock. "I'll give you guys another chance. I know you all skipped breakfast as per my instructions, so if you want to try again you stay here and have lunch. Divide it up yourselves once you get free. Two of you can have lunch, the third doesn't get any. Break my rules and you fail." With that, the Jonin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto scowled as he stared at the ground. Was it worth it? His ropes were loose enough he could reach a kunai, and get some lunch. His stomach was growling already, and he didn't want to think about fighting without lunch. But as he looked at Hinata and Sasuke, his conscience betrayed him. Sasuke he could maybe ignore but Hinata looked utterly spent after Kakashi's comments.

"**We don't give up. And our teammates need us.**" Kurama told him gently. "**You can miss a meal and train, you've done it before. And it appears we are the only ones that can get free.**"

Naruto grimaced and wiggled against his bonds. His hand could just barely get to his knife pouch but he managed to get a kunai out and sawed through his ropes. While Sasuke struggled to get free, Naruto dropped down and landed rather painfully, with another reminder of his battle with Kakashi. "1000 years of pain. I believe it." Naruto muttered, gingerly rubbing his rear. He spun his kunai around and cut Hinata's ropes first, slowly to prevent her from falling. She murmured her thanks and turned red as Naruto helped her down.

He wasn't nearly as gentle with Sasuke but he didn't feel all that guilty about it. "Come on. You're both free. Have lunch so we can try again." Naruto told them.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked angrily.

"What, you're giving up?" Naruto challenged him. "Come on. The Uchiha genius isn't going to try for genin?"

"No, I mean what are you talking about, us eating lunch?" Sasuke asked. "You got free. Why aren't you eating?"

"I can skip lunch." Naruto told him flatly, ignoring his growling stomach. "And we need to work as a team. I know I suck at it, but maybe this'll be a step in the right direction. You and Hinata need food, so eat."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment, not quite believing what he was hearing. Naruto ignored him and sat back down by his post, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. His stomach was growling louder, but he forced himself to ignore it.

After a few minutes, Kurama informed him, "**I believe Hinata is trying to work up the courage to talk to you. She's been sitting very close and starting to speak for a little bit.**"

"How do you-" Naruto started to ask as he cracked his eyes open, only to find Hinata blushing and trying to speak.

"Hinata-chan?" He asked carefully. Her blush deepened and she looked down but the kunoichi finally found her voice.

"W-we can share if you like." She offered quietly.

"Share? But Kakashi-sensei said-" Naruto started to protest, only for Kurama to shout at him to shut up. Naruto swallowed heavily and resisted the urge to hold his now pounding head. "Thank you Hinata-chan. But what if sensei shows up?"

"He is not near, and you need to eat as well." Hinata said softly. She brushed her hair behind her ears, and added, "There's enough for two, if we share."

Naruto glanced dubiously at the lunch. There was maybe, maybe a lunch and a half there if you were creative. If he shared with Hinata, they would both be hungry at the end. Not as hungry but still hungry. Naruto wanted to protest, to reject her offer but his stomach let out another growl. "Are you sure? I don't want to take your lunch."

"I'm sure." She told him firmly. Naruto nodded and pulled out one of his disposable chopstick sets.

"Thanks Hinata." He said. Hinata blushed and nodded.

"That won't be enough to you two." Sasuke told them. He put his lunch down. "Here. We'll all split. You'll get in the way and hurt us if you're hungry."

Naruto was shocked, staring at the offered food. Hinata was also surprised but nodded. Naruto glanced both at the food and at the boy offering it. "Thanks." He said, taking a bit from both lunches. "You just make sure you eat to. It would be really embaressing if you were the one to trip us up."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but nodded, and turned at a sudden noise. They saw a sudden burst of dust and Kakashi came charging towards them. The three genin froze, flinching back as Kakashi roared, "YOU GUYS!"

And then he stopped, standing over his flinching students and told them, "...Pass." And as he spoke, they could hear the smile in his voice.

The three genin looked at their sensei, confusion clear across their faces. Kakashi just grinned. "And to tell you the truth, I'm glad. No one else has ever passed this. They just did what they were told."

"As they were told?" Sasuke asked, confused.

"As a shinobi, those that disobey the rules and codes are called trash." Kakashi said. "But I find that those who turn their backs on their teams..."

Kakashi paused for a moment, before walking behind the posts towards a small stone pillar with names carved into it. He ran a hand over the rock, and lowered his voice. "Those that don't take care of their comrades are worse than trash."

That sank in after a moment, and the trio exchanged rueful glances. Hinata however, looked past her teammates and stared at the stone. "Sensei, what's that stone? Whose names are written there?"

Kakashi glanced at her, and Hinata looked down scared. Kakashi shrugged and glanced up at the sky. "This is a stone with the names of heroes of the village. This is a tribute to those that died, heroes of the Leaf Village."

Naruto swallowed heavily as he stared at the tomb. Before anyone else could say something, Kakashi told them, "Good job, all of you. You all pass. So tomorrow, we'll meet here bright and early for our regular duties. Welcome to Team 7."

Naruto grinned, glancing at his team mates and giving a cheer. Hinata smiled shyly, and Sasuke gave a satisfied smirk.

Naruto showed up early for the next meeting, with Kurama trying to calm the boy down. "**Don't get your hopes up for a complicated, exciting mission. Genin missions are simple and safe.**"

"Then I'll do my best, and work my way up to higher level missions as quickly as possible." He told her. "But we actually did it."

"**We did. Although that Jonin was not what I suspected.**" Kurama told him thoughtfully. "**I suspect we could learn a lot from him.**"

"Do you think so? He doesn't seem like the explaining type." Naruto said with a frown.|

"**We'll see. If nothing else, you may have to swallow your pride and ask for help.**" Kurama warned him. Naruto nodded, before settling in beside the posts again to wait.

Sasuke arrived soon after, giving Naruto a nod and a smirk. "Here early? Got nothing better to do?" Naruto rolled his eyes and refrained from commenting.

Hinata was a little more polite, blushing as she arrived and giving the boys a little bow. "S-s-sorry I'm late." She managed.

"You're still early Hinata-chan." Naruto told her warmly. "But I think Kakashi-sensei is running late."

Sasuke snorted. "I'm not surprised. I don't think he takes this seriously."

"N-no, I think he takes this very s-seriously." Hinata argued back. "H-he just has many things on his mind. H-h-he's probably vi-visiting that me-me-memorial stone."

"You think so?" Naruto asked, a little surprised.

"W-w-well, why else w-would he be sad t-talking about it?" She asked quietly.

Naruto nodded slowly, it made sense. "Maybe we should ask him to meet us earlier?" He suggested. "Or we train amongst ourselves while we wait?"

"Why would we train together?" Sasuke asked. "Why bother? We aren't at the same level."

"Then it's a good way for us to catch up!" Naruto shot back. "Come on Sasuke, we all know you're the best now. But what good does that do us on a mission, if you're the only one good enough?"

"It's not my fault you're pathetic." Sasuke said snidely.

Naruto bristled but forced himself not to snap back. "No, it isn't. But it is your fault if our team doesn't do better because you won't help anyone improve. What does it cost you?"

"Naruto-kun is right." Hinata told him softly. "It's easy to be the genius Sasuke-san, and probably easy for you to improve. But we will need more work."

Sasuke snorted again, but didn't protest. Naruto gave Hinata a warm grin, which she shyly returned as her face turned red, and glanced over to the field by the memorial stone. "He's coming." He told the group. They all nodded, and stood up to greet Kakashi.

"Sorry I'm late guys. You wouldn't believe the traffic." He told them, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. The genin just nodded, and waited for him to discuss their duties.

"Well, after yesterday I said we would begin normal duties. That has a few implications, and I'll admit I'm rusty on being a mentor." Kakashi told them. "So your choices are to either train with me this morning, or head to the Hokage's office and register for a mission. We'll need to work out a training schedule regardless, but if you guys want it can be more independent studying."

Naruto glanced at the group, feeling torn. On one hand, he wanted to prove that he could do this himself, that he had what it took to be a ninja. After all, Sasuke trained on his own and was the best in their class, and Hinata was a lot better than him having trained at home. But he had to admit, after fighting with Kakashi yesterday that it would be a great benefit if he studied under the Jonin.

Hinata was the first one to speak, surprising them all. "I-I-I think we wo-would all benefit from training sensei." She admitted. "Even Sasuke-kun, who's supposed to be the best of us, failed against you."

Naruto nodded. "If I want to be Hokage, I have to be much better." He agreed. "And you're really good Sensei."

"I don't see why we have to train together." Sasuke said with a lazy shrug. "But if those two think they need it, I won't get in the way."

Kakashi nodded, and Naruto thought he saw a frown aimed at Sasuke. "Ok. Well, let's go through the basics. I'll put you all through some Taijutsu drills and see how you're all doing."

Naruto grimaced at that but didn't complain. He'd asked for this after all. He watched Kakashi closely before slowly trying to copy what his teacher was doing.

He felt clumsy as he moved, barely able to get the pattern. Sasuke seemed fine, and to his surprise Hinata was quick to be able to copy as well. He put more effort into his motions, stealing glances at Sasuke as he moved. Much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke was better and maybe he could copy the other boy and get it right.

Kakashi nodded as he watched the genin move. He stopped them in order to put a little space between them and circled each student slowly. He watched Hinata, slowly analyzing her movements. "Gentle Fist." He murmured. "You're quite graceful with your moves, but you're not following through with enough power."

Hinata blushed and went to apologies. "I'm not criticizing to put you down. You're doing well, exactly as you've been taught. But you can do better if you extend your arm like this. Gentle Fist doesn't need the extra power but Hard Fist does, and that's what we're working on today." He gently corrected her stance, adjusting her shoulders and feet. Hinata thanked him, her eyes bowed down in embarrassment. Kakashi frowned at this but didn't comment.

He glanced over at Naruto and watched the boy ruefully. "What to do with you?" He thought sadly. Naruto's stance was way off, and his motions were bulky and over the top. "You haven't had much practice, have you Naruto?" Kakashi thought as he stood by the boy.

"Naruto, stop for a second." He told him. The blonde boy complied and Kakashi forced him to change his stance, adjusting his arms and feet first, followed by his torso and shoulders. "Try it like that."

"That feels funny." Naruto told him. "Is this really the right way?"

"You've been a little off since you started. It'll feel funny until your muscles adjust." Kakashi warned him. Sasuke snickered as he watched, earning him a glare from Naruto.

Kakashi didn't comment though. He knew better than to get involved in a rivalry like this one. Instead, he came over and rapped him on the forehead, in the center of the Uchiha boy's protector. "For a genius, you're getting sloppy footwork." He chided. Sasuke's smirk turned into a scowl as he quickly corrected himself.

After an hour of drills, Kakashi nodded and called for a break. "Stretch yourselves out to cool down." He told them. "We'll head for the Hokage's office for now, do a few more drills after lunch and work on sparring tomorrow. The Hokage will have a few D rank missions left for us."

The three nodded, all looking a little tired. Naruto recovered the fastest though, and looked puzzled as he completed his cool down. "Why are we doing D ranked missions?" He asked.

"Because you guys are genin, and new genin at that." Kakashi told him. "You need to learn how to handle missions without too big of a threat hanging over your heads. Most of the missions will be things like babysitting or helping out the injured in Konoha."

"Oh." Naruto said, looking disappointed. "Those don't sound like exciting jobs."

"They aren't. But they are important." Kakashi told him firmly. "How can you be expected to handle big jobs if you can't get the small ones done right?"

"So we'll be watching some snot-nosed brats?" Sasuke demanded.

"No, you'll be looking after citizens of Konoha." Kakashi countered, sizing Sasuke up again. He was starting to dislike this boy. "Actually, I think we'll hold off going for a mission. I'm going to give you all some individual practice drills and give you all some one on one time. You all feeling a little better?"

Sasuke and Naruto nodded, and Hinata hesitantly followed suit. "Right. Sasuke, you head over by the posts. You seem to have a grasp on your chakra control, so I want you to practice molding your chakra. Produce some Bushin or Kenge, or any other jutsu you'd like but work on your control. Try not to burn anything down. Hinata, you work through some of your Gentle Fist exercises. I want to see how you're doing them, and see if I can help you with them. Naruto, you head to the river. You're going to work on your chakra control to stand on water."

All three nodded, grabbing any shed bags or clothing before heading off to their assigned areas. Naruto lingered a bit, waiting until the others were out of hearing before approaching Kakashi. "Um... Sensei? How am I supposed to do what you asked?"

Kakashi frowned. "Naruto, it's a simple exercise. Concentrate your chakra on your feet so that you can keep your feet on the surface of the water."

"Oh." Naruto looked embarrassed and Kakashi scolded himself. He shouldn't make Naruto afraid to ask questions. "Sorry Naruto. I didn't think I'd explained it improperly. You know how you gather chakra to summon your clones right?" Naruto nodded. "It's like that. Concentrate you chakra like that, focusing on the energy around your feet. They should help pull the water together, allowing you to walk on top of it. When you gather the right amount of energy, you'll be able to walk on the water. Make sense?"

Naruto nodded and Kakashi pointed to the river. "Go give it a try then. If you're unsure, experiment a little and don't go too far out. I'll stop by in a few minutes to see how you're doing." Naruto took off to the river, pausing only to shed his orange jacket. "I'm going to have to talk to him about changing that out." Kakashi muttered to himself. "A ninja in orange is not likely to live long."

He wandered over to where Hinata was working, drilling herself on her Gentle Fist. While by no means an expert, Kakashi could see she was proficient with the art, much more so than her demeanor would suggest. What had been happening to the poor girl? He shook off his thoughts and told Hinata, "It looks like you're doing well."

Hinata jumped a little, as if surprised that Kakashi was there. "Th-thank you Sensei." She told him with a quick bow. "I'm afraid I'm not that good though."

"You're quite good for someone your age, and are working hard." He told her. Hinata blushed a little but didn't say anything. "Since you've been studying Gentle Fist, I take it that you're proficient with your chakra control?"

"Y-yes, but not that good." The girl stuttered, glancing at the ground.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "Hinata," He told her gently. "There is no shame in being good at something, nor is admitting you have skill. In fact, it is often something to be proud of, as long as the pride doesn't keep you from improving." Hinata only nodded, causing Kakashi to sigh. "I've noticed that you have lower stamina than either of your teammates. It might be an idea to work on that a little, so that you are less likely to be hurt in the field. I can write you up a scroll with exercises to help if you'd like." Hinata nodded again, not raising her head.

Kakashi's frown deepened as he handed her a scroll of exercises but didn't bother her anymore. He'd have to look into what was going on with her. But he had two other students that he needed to see and talk to.

He slipped away while Hinata started practicing and slowly made his way over to Sasuke. Sasuke was working as he'd been told but he didn't look happy about it. Sasuke glanced up at this teacher as he approached but otherwise ignored the man. Kakashi found himself growing to dislike the boy. "Everything going ok?" He asked his student in a level tone.

"Fine. Don't know why you're bothering though." Sasuke said as he completed another set of seals. "I'm not going to improve just with this, and Naruto and Hinata are months behind me. This won't accomplish much."

"You don't have a high opinion of your classmates." Kakashi noted dryly. "Do you think yourself so above them?"

"Isn't it obvious that I am?" Sasuke asked angrily. "Neither of them did any good against you, and both scored badly in the Academy. Hell, Naruto barely passed, if he did at all. I'm thinking his was a sympathy promotion."

"Then you're a bigger idiot than him." Kakashi said coldly. Sasuke flinched back at the intensity of the Jonin's response. "You have known loss Sasuke, and I acknowledge that you have earned some tolerance for your actions because of that pain. But you were taught from a young age, and accomplished much thanks to that teaching yet Naruto has surpassed you already. He's mastered an A-rank jutsu, on his own, through hard work in less than twelve hours. He was not taught anything, nor given any support beyond the little Iruka could offer. Don't belittle his efforts because he sure as hell doesn't belittle yours."

Sasuke glared. "Naruto thinks nothing of me, so why should I do any better?" He demanded.

"Besides being the better person?" Kakashi asked softly. Sasuke didn't respond to that. "And you're wrong. Naruto doesn't think little of you. He's jealous of you, of the respect you command and your skills. He wants nothing more than to be acknowledged by you." That startled Sasuke, prompting Kakashi to continue. "You can't see it because you're lost in your own grief. But Naruto is like you. He is an orphan, he has been a target for hate from the whole village and he has worked hard every day of his life. He hasn't known the same loss as you have, because he hasn't been given the chance to have someone that close. Don't destroy him because he hasn't felt your pain. Don't make someone who holds out a hand regret offering it to you."

Sasuke looked like he had a nasty reply but the look Kakashi gave him made him swallow it. Instead, the Uchiha boy nodded sullenly and went to his exercises. Kakashi hoped he hadn't made the situation worse as he went over to check on Naruto.

He was slightly surprised to find the boy was drenched and scowling by the river. Kakashi grinned a little and walked slowly up behind the boy, asking teasingly, "Enjoying your swim?"

Naruto spun around, startled by Kakashi's arrival and pouted. "I'm not trying to Sensei. I just can't get it right."

"Really?" Kakashi asked, genuinely surprised. The boy had mastered the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in a few hours but couldn't control his chakra enough to walk across the water? Something wasn't adding up here.

"Yeah. I kept trying and trying but it just wasn't working. We have no idea what's-"

"We?" Kakashi asked sharply, his eyes flicking to the boy's stomach. Naruto went pale and swallowed heavily.

Kakashi glanced over to make sure that Hinata and Sasuke were out of hearing range, before giving Naruto the most serious face he could muster. "Naruto, does this have to do with your prisoner?" He asked quietly.

Naruto swallowed heavily again and nodded, his eyes darting about as if he was ready to run. Kakashi nodded slowly and told him, "Get dried off and then get your jacket on. We're going to act like everything's all right for now, go on a mission and then we'll talk."

Naruto nodded, his face looking torn. "Did I do something wrong sensei?" He asked, his voice tight.

"I don't know yet." Kakashi told him honestly and Naruto's face fell. Kakashi quickly added, " But probably not. Regardless, we need to talk." About many things, Kakashi realized, going over the list of problems Naruto had. Too many for comfort.


End file.
